Greg LeMond’s New 26 LB. Carbon Fiber Ebike • Hacker News Board

Re: Greg LeMond’s New 26 LB. Carbon Fiber Ebike

#271

Post by patrickk » Sat, Nov 28, 2020, 8:48 AM UTC

slim wrote: post #237

closeparen wrote: post #232

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Decoupling transportation and exercise is valuable even if you are in shape.

why? if time is your most precious asset, coupling them makes the best value you can get

If you’re in a rush in the morning to get to work, arriving sweating after cycling intensively isn’t a nice experience especially if you don’t have a shower or changing facilities at work. Maintaining a higher speed while reducing or eliminating sweating, while taking cars off the road is a huge plus of ebikes. Maybe it’s a positive social change that will come out of Covid.

Re: Greg LeMond’s New 26 LB. Carbon Fiber Ebike

#272

Post by closeparen » Sat, Nov 28, 2020, 8:52 AM UTC

mulmen wrote: post #267

closeparen wrote: post #263

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Spaces where bicycles have right of way and spaces where bicycles are permitted to tread gingerly around other, higher-priority users are completely different things. Calling such a pedestrian path a bike path is like calling a bus lane or a truck loading zone with sharrows in it a bike lane.

You’re ignoring reality. There is a dedicated bike path that I ride every day with painted bicycles on the path and a separate sidewalk next to it with grass between. There are always people walking on the bike path. This is even understandable with covid, people are trying to keep their distance. There are also people on ebikes going faster than everyone, swerving between the bike path and the sidewalk.

It’s unfortunate that people don’t respect bike paths where you live, and I hope it improves. The dedicated cycling spaces where I live see only occasional intruders and, while I would never hit one, neither do I feel obligated to make them feel welcome where they aren’t.

Re: Greg LeMond’s New 26 LB. Carbon Fiber Ebike

#273

Post by noir_lord » Sat, Nov 28, 2020, 8:57 AM UTC

altarius wrote: post #54

_verandaguy wrote: post #5

Coming from conventional bikes, I don't understand who this is for. Carbon fibre frames are prohibitively expensive and the market for them serves very involved, often professional or semi-pro cyclists whose performance bottlenecks are imposed by the bike instead of themselves. Ditto for some of the other details on the bike, like the medium-dish carbon rims — all for the sake of weight savings and aerodynamics (sinc…

Carbon fiber frames are now quite common in mountain biking and road biking, many enthusiasts (just quite average riders) buy them. I think this bike for wealthy commuters and city dwellers, could replace public transit or Uber rides. People seem to have taken up cycling in cities due to the risk of riding on public transit. And as someone else said, taking a 50+lbs (25kg) e-bike inside or even upstairs is a pain. Bu…

I bought a full carbon felt road bike in 2013 (2012 model so heavily discounted) for 768 quid.

That's expensive for an average bike but entirely in the range for an equivalent quality alu bike - Carbon fiber simply isn't that exotic anymore.

Re: Greg LeMond’s New 26 LB. Carbon Fiber Ebike

#274

Post by floatingatoll » Sat, Nov 28, 2020, 9:19 AM UTC

If I still lived in Eugene I would consider this a godsend for local exploration of all the non-road bike trails. Sure, I’m happy to explore them anyways, but being able to conserve my energy on hot days and get home sooner during a rainstorm would be invaluable. I don’t ever intend to be competitive, but it’s nice to go further in the same amount of wall clock time.

Re: Greg LeMond’s New 26 LB. Carbon Fiber Ebike

#275

Post by mulmen » Sat, Nov 28, 2020, 9:23 AM UTC

closeparen wrote: post #272

mulmen wrote: post #267

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You’re ignoring reality. There is a dedicated bike path that I ride every day with painted bicycles on the path and a separate sidewalk next to it with grass between. There are always people walking on the bike path. This is even understandable with covid, people are trying to keep their distance. There are also people on ebikes going faster than everyone, swerving between the bike path and the sidewalk.

It’s unfortunate that people don’t respect bike paths where you live, and I hope it improves. The dedicated cycling spaces where I live see only occasional intruders and, while I would never hit one, neither do I feel obligated to make them feel welcome where they aren’t.

Yes, it is unfortunate. But my city is very bicycle friendly so there is a lot to be thankful for. Also even with pedestrians on the bike paths everything mostly works out fine. Assuming speeds are human powered.

I am optimistic that if we embrace ebikes as motorcycles and advertise their ability to keep up with and even get around traffic we can enjoy the benefits provided to the rest of the high density world.

Amercian cities are incredibly wasteful with space. Single individuals in cars, it’s ridiculous. In Asia I have seen mothers with children on scooters. Everyone rides a motorcycle.

We need that in our cities and I think ebikes can help get us there.

Re: Greg LeMond’s New 26 LB. Carbon Fiber Ebike

#276

Post by ncmncm » Sat, Nov 28, 2020, 9:54 AM UTC

hazeii wrote: post #266

ncmncm wrote: post #126

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don't understand why you need to measure anything but instantaneous crank torque, speed, and (for completeness) pitch angle. Integrating power in vs acceleration out, the difference is loss. What am I missing? Does bad posture waste energy before it reaches the crank?

In an ideal world with zero friction, zero wind, constant air density and no other losses that would be true. There are a few outfits using this approach, so we are the outliers (being the only ones doing it via direct force measurement, for which we have the patent).

The difference between energy in and work out is, exactly, friction, wind, and "other losses", so you have not said anything meaningful. That is your right, but then why answer at all?

Re: Greg LeMond’s New 26 LB. Carbon Fiber Ebike

#277

Post by t-writescode » Sat, Nov 28, 2020, 10:27 AM UTC

closeparen wrote: post #269

mulmen wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's completely irrelevant. Some cycling paths in my area are mixed pedestrian and cycle. Mostly they are mixed car and cycle. There are a handful of dedicated bike paths but those often have pedestrians on them anyway. Good luck changing that. The semantics of "bike path" are not interesting here. I ride my bike at around 8mph. I don't pass many conventional bicycles. I don't get passed by conventional cycles much…

I think we were raised in very different cycling cultures. I was taught to be embarrassed at much less than 15mph under my own power. Being lazy, I usually rode closer to 11-12 when alone, and the only slower bikes I encountered were small children. Many athletic cyclists zoomed by at 20-25. I was also taught to assert my right of way when I have it, and be deferential when I don’t. So the designation of the path doe…

It also sounds like you guys exist in different areas. The situation you're completely against is the status quo in Seattle.

Re: Greg LeMond’s New 26 LB. Carbon Fiber Ebike

#278

Post by t-writescode » Sat, Nov 28, 2020, 10:32 AM UTC

rckclmbr wrote: post #229

an_opabinia wrote: post #2

A lot of people coming in and poo pooing a very nice, very well designed bike. Very pretty and conventional looking. At this price range it’s more comparable to a Stromer, which is at once a much more vehicle-replacement oriented bike but also a bike that looks like a “Das Bike.” It would be nice if this bike had insurance and tracking like the Vanmoofs do. As an owner of two and knowing other owners, this is a dealb…

I have 15k miles on my stromer, and I use the words "vehicle replacement" all the time. To me, its not something to go out and enjoy like I do on my bikes. Its something that gets me to work or the grocery store and back. I mean yea its fun, but it saves gas, I never get stuck in traffic, and can always find parking.

I used to live in a place that was walkable to a lot of places, but VERY bikeable to everywhere else.

It had very low car traffic at the worst of times.

It was also hilly.

My commute to work was also a bus; but, there was an optional bike path I could take. I strongly considered getting an electric bike to go about the "longer" distances than were easy by walking.

These e-bikes are perfect for the "everything's within a couple miles" distance that's just a bit far for walking when you have other things you want to do. I love the concept of them, so long as you respect the reality that you're both a bike and a potentially very fast one for pedestrians.

Re: Greg LeMond’s New 26 LB. Carbon Fiber Ebike

#279

Post by mulmen » Sat, Nov 28, 2020, 10:34 AM UTC

closeparen wrote: post #269

mulmen wrote: post #259

Earlier quoted context omitted.

That's completely irrelevant. Some cycling paths in my area are mixed pedestrian and cycle. Mostly they are mixed car and cycle. There are a handful of dedicated bike paths but those often have pedestrians on them anyway. Good luck changing that. The semantics of "bike path" are not interesting here. I ride my bike at around 8mph. I don't pass many conventional bicycles. I don't get passed by conventional cycles much…

I think we were raised in very different cycling cultures. I was taught to be embarrassed at much less than 15mph under my own power. Being lazy, I usually rode closer to 11-12 when alone, and the only slower bikes I encountered were small children. Many athletic cyclists zoomed by at 20-25. I was also taught to assert my right of way when I have it, and be deferential when I don’t. So the designation of the path doe…

Yeah see, that's why there are bike lanes in the street too. If you want to travel at traffic speeds join traffic. Ebikes are great for this.

Instead people ride ebikes at 20+mph within feet (or inches!) of pedestrians. While hardcore cyclists are in the street dodging cars.

You're describing fantasy.

Re: Greg LeMond’s New 26 LB. Carbon Fiber Ebike

#280

Post by t-writescode » Sat, Nov 28, 2020, 10:34 AM UTC

outside1234 wrote: post #188

I'm not sure who this product is for. Don't get me wrong, it's beautiful product design. But at $4500, with straight bars, it clearly isn't for racers and at that price point, not for commuters either.

Why not for commuters? If you're a well-to-do software engineer that lives 10 hilly miles from work, but with great bike paths the whole way, this is a perfect vehicle as with the electric assist, you're not going to work up a sweat on your way!